Pocket-book clasp



(No Model.)

J. E. ORTNER.

POCKET BOOK CLASP.

No. 455,850. Patented J u1 14, 1891.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR Jbhn EJ711311 01mm, 817 M41 BY ATT'Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN ERNST ORTNER, OF NEVARK, NEV JERSEY.

POCKET-BOOK CLASP.

SPECIFICATION forming; part of Letters Patent No. 455,850, dated July 14, 1891.

Application filed November 10, 1890. Serial No. 370,962. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN ERNST ORTNER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pocket-Book Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in clasps for pocket-books or other like articles, adapted to be attached to the folding flap, whereby the same can be firmly held in place and can be turned back with facility and ease; and the invention is further designed to provide a clasp simple in construction, as well as ornamental, and of great utility and strength, possessing great advantage over clasps heretofore made for the same purpose.

The object of the invention is to provide a clasp consisting, essentially, of an upper shell or face plate, ashoe within said shell pro vided with a post and an inner and an outer .back plate for attaching the olasps to the material of the flap, and a catch on the main portion of the pocket-book adapted to be inserted through a perforation in the back plates and engaging with a spring-actuated looking or holding lever within the casing to cause the holding or locked engagement of the several parts.

In the drawings herewith accompanying, in which similar reference-letters are employed to indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a front view of my improved clasp attached to the flap of a pocket-book. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the clasp removed from the flap, and Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the position of the face plate with its inclosed locking mechanism when said plate has been caused to slide transversely across the inner back plate. Fig. at is aview of the outer back \plate on the inner side of the flap, to which the shell and its locking mechanism are secured by means of pins on the inner back plate on the opposite side of the flap. Figs. 5 and 6 are back views of the clasp detached moved. "Fig. 10 is a vertical section taken on line y in Fig. at, showing the complete construction of the device, with the catch on the main portion of the pocket-book inserted through theperforated back plates and in locked engagement with the spring-actuated locking-lever.

As indicated in the above-described views, A represents the clasp or fastening device secured to the flap b of the pocket-book.

The essential feature of the clasp is a face plate or shell a, secured to the shoe 0 by the overlapping edges a. Said shoe, which is preferably struck up from sheet metal, is provided with a peculiarly chambered or recessed portion a, which is circular at the top at 0 having an upwardly-projecting square post 0 firmly riveted therein, as shown. Said recessed portion 0' is also provided with an incline c to the left of the same, as will be evident from the figures.

From Figs. 8 and 9 it will be seen that around the post 0 within the chamber 0', I have arranged a spring d, provided with upwardlyvprojecting arms (1 and (Z one of which, as

d, engages with the edge 0 of the chamber 0, and the other (Z fits against the side of a locking or holding lever e, which is firmly secured on the post 0 directly above the spring d. The end 6 of the lever c is slightly bent upward and projects into a perforation or opening f, corresponding in outline to the outline of the chamber 0 in the inner back plate or disk f, which is firmly secured to the shoe and the face plate by a washer f through which the free end of the post 0 has been passed and riveted thereto. Said inner back plate or disk f is provided with pins or rivets f which are forced through the material of ICO the flap 1), and upon the same is firmly secured the outer back plate g, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 10.

The body portion b of the bag or pocketbook (see Fig. is provided with a catch h of any suitable construction and secured thereto in any well-known manner. Said catch can be passed through a perforation g in the plate g and through the flap Z), and also through the plate f, where it is forced into its locked or holding engagement with the upwardly-bent end 6' of the lever e, as will be clearly understood from said Fig. 10.

I will now proceed to describe the operation of unlocking the clasp mechanism. When the several parts of the clasp have been forced into their locked or holding engagement, as has just been described and as illustrated in Fig. 10, and it is desired to open the pocketbook, the person forces the face plate to the left, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, or to the right, as in Fig. 6, when looking at the back of the device. The lever d, which is firmly secured to the post in the shoe in the face plate or the shell, rotates within the circular portion f in the plate f, the end e of the holding or looking lever passing from under the hooked portion of the catch h, the nose or end h thereof riding up on the incline c and thereby forcing the catch it almostentirely out of the perforation g in the back plate g. In order to prevent is caused to slide freely against the inner surface of the perforation in said plate.

As will be seen from Fig. 6,when the lever d has been forced over, the arms of the spring d are compressed, and when the catch has been Withdrawn from engagement with the lever and has been entirely removed from the clasp said arms return the lever 61 and the face plate and its shoe to their normalpositions, and the hooked portion of the catch can again be automatically forced into its locked or holding engagement with the lever d.

I am aware that the form and shape of the entire clasp may be varied and a different .form of spring can be used, and therefore I do not wish to limit myself to the exact form of construction herein shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a pocket-book clasp, the combination, with a catch, of a face plate provided with a spring-actuated looking or holding lever and perforated back plates, as set forth, secured to the opposite sides of the flap of the pocketbook, said face plate being pivotally secured to one of said back plates on the front of the flap and said face plate and lever thereby .being adapted to slide transversely across said back plate, and means for securingsaid back plates to each other on opposite sides of the flap, as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a pocket-book clasp, the combination, with a catch, of aface plate secured to a chambered or recessed shoe provided with a post,

a spring-actuated looking or holding lever sethe sticking fast of the catch 7t within the perforation g in the back plate said catch is made with an inclined side h on that side which, by the pressure which is exerted upon the device while being opened,

cured to said post, a perforated back plate f; to which said shoe is pivotally secured, a second perforated back plate, and means for securing the flap of the pocket-book between said back plates, said face plate, shoe, and lever'being adapted to slide transversely across said back platef, as and for the purposes set forth.

In a pocket-book clasp, the combination, with a catch, of a face plate or shell secured to a chambered or recessed shoe provided with a post and an incline 0 a spring-actuated locking-lever secured to said post, a perforated back plate f, to which said shoe is pivotally secured, a second perforated back plate, and means for securing the flap of the pocketbook between said back plates, said face plate, shoe, and lever being adapted to slide transversely across said back plate f, causing the disengagement of the catch from the lockinglever, and the nose of said catch sliding on said incline, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. A pocket-book clasp consisting of a face plate secured to a shoe provided with a chainbered or recessed portion 0' and an incline 0 a post extending up from said shoe, a spring encircling said post, arranged in the chamber 0', a looking or holding lever fastened to said post, with which said spring is in engagement, a back plate f, provided with a perforation f, corresponding in outline to the outline of the recessed portion 0, said plate f 4 having a circular portion in which the lever rotates, a back plate g, provided with a perforation g, means for securing the flap of the pocket-book between said back plates, and a catch attached to the body of the pocket-book, adapted to be passed through said perforations in the back plates and engaging with the locking-lever, as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, with the back plat-es adapted to be secured to the flap of a pocketbook, of a face plate provided with a lockinglcver, said face plate being entirely closed on the front side and pivotally and eccentrically IIO secured to one of said back plates and being adapted to slide with said lever transversely across said back plate, as and for the purposes set forth.

. (5. A pocket-book clasp consisting of a face plate secured to a shoe provided with a chambered or recessed portion 0' and an incline 0 a post extending up from said shoe, a spring encircling said post, arranged in the chamber 0, a locking or holding lever fastened to said post, with which said spring is in engagement, a back plate f, provided with a perforation f, corresponding in outline to the outline of the recessed portion 0', said plate having a circular portion f*, in which the lever rotates, a back plate g, provided with a perforation 9, means for securing the flap of the pocketbook between said back plates, and a catch attached to the body of the pocket-book, adapted to be passed through said perforations in the back plates,provided with ahooked portion engaging with the locking-lever, a nose h, and an inclined side, as and for the purposes set forth. a

7. The hereinedescribed catch h, provided with the hook-shaped nose portion h and the inclined side 7L2, in combination with a face plate provided with a spring-actuated locking-lever, with which said hook-shaped nose portion engages, as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A pocket-book clasp consisting of an eccentrically-pivoted head or face plate forming a casing within which is secured. a recessed shoe, a perforated disk or back plate adapted to be secured to the flap of the pocket-book, a post on said shoe for eccentrically pivoting the same and the head or face plate to said back plate, a locking-arm secured around said post in the recess in. said shoe andia spring in engagement with said post, and a catch at tached to the body of the pocket-book,adapted to be passed through said flap and a perforation in said back plate to engage with said locking-arm, whereby the face plate, recessed shoe, and locking-arm are moved transversely across said back plate and normally returned by the action of said spring, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set'my hand this 7th day of November, 1890.

JOHN ERNST ORTNER.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. C. FRAENTZEL, B. ROUNHAND. 

